Apple is discussing multiyear deals that could pay news publishers when Siri AI uses their content, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company has also discussed a possible nine-figure budget for the payments, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
Apple has not confirmed the talks, payment structure, participating publishers or individual rates. The proposed agreements would give Siri AI access to current news and information as Apple prepares a broader rollout of its rebuilt assistant.
Publisher payments could follow Siri usage
Under the proposal, payments would vary based on how participating publishers' content is used. The Wall Street Journal reported that the approach differs from common AI licensing agreements that guarantee publishers fees for broad access to their material.
Apple has not disclosed how it would measure usage, calculate payments when Siri draws on publisher content or let publishers verify those figures. Those terms could determine whether publishers see the model as an attractive alternative to fixed licensing agreements.
The negotiations come as Apple expands its redesigned Siri AI assistant, unveiled at WWDC on June 8. Apple says Siri AI can retrieve current information from the web while using on-screen and personal context to answer questions and take actions across apps.
Siri AI moved beyond developer-only access with the iOS 27 public beta in July. Availability remains uneven: Apple's EU rollout still faces delays on iPhones and iPads because of its dispute with European regulators over the Digital Markets Act.
Apple already has commercial relationships with news organizations through Apple News+ and earlier agreements that included rights to use publisher content for AI training.
News sourcing raises accuracy questions
Apple has previously run into problems when AI handled news content. In January 2025, the company temporarily disabled notification summaries for News & Entertainment apps after its system generated inaccurate summaries of news alerts.
Licensing content would give Apple permission to use participating publishers' material, but it would not ensure that Siri accurately represents the underlying reporting. Apple has not publicly explained how it would address errors involving licensed news content or whether Siri would consistently identify sources behind its answers.
Publishers must also weigh compensation against attribution and referral traffic. A usage-based model could pay them when their reporting contributes to Siri responses, while its value would depend on how Apple measures use and whether users can identify or visit the original source.
Similar sourcing questions apply to organizations evaluating AI assistants for business use. Procurement and governance teams need to know whether information comes from properly licensed sources and whether generated answers can be traced back to supporting material.
Which publishers sign on, how Apple measures usage and whether Siri credits its sources will determine whether the approach gives news organizations a workable alternative to conventional AI licensing deals.
Read more: For a broader view of Apple's position in the assistant market, see how Siri AI compares with Google Gemini across research, productivity, privacy and device integration.